


Scales of Choice

by MonPetitTresor



Series: Tumblr Prompts and Potential Future AU's [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Bonding, Bruce is a sweetie, Dragons and Riders, Eggs, Friendship, Kidnapping, Loki isn't the bad guy, Odin isn't too bad, Protective Loki, Protectiveness, Snarky Tony, Ten Rings, This is fully outside canon, bruce is still the hulk, but borrows from it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 02:28:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15160439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor
Summary: The Stark egg is the first egg to be born in the past hundred years, and up until recently, it's been one of the most protected items on this realm. But what happens when someone dares to get brave enough to steal it?When SHIELD finally finds it, they get a whole lot more than they were expecting. Luckily, they know just the person to call in.Well, lucky for Tony. Not so much for everyone else. Loki always has been a bit of a possessive bastard.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> idek what this is guys okay, but it was fun to write, and I've given it a basic edit. I might do more one day, but for now, I hope you enjoy this. Let me know what you think!

For as long as most humans could remember, dragons had been a part of their world. No one really seemed to know how they’d come about. Just that they had appeared hundreds upon hundreds of years ago when Asgard had first come to Earth to help defend them from an attack by the Jotnar, who lived in the Realm of Jotunheim. It was Earth’s first introduction to the beings that existed around them, and the first exposure they had to dragons.

Much of what came next was lost in the history books. It was well known that – as a sign of goodwill and the future of their alliance – Alfheim brought twelve dragon eggs to Earth and presented them to the people there, allowing any human who wanted to come and touch them. Apparently, the dragon inside could _choose_ who they wanted to hatch for. That person would then be their trainer, a light bond built between the two of them that would sustain them as the dragon slowly grew. Some dragons chose to stay with their trainer, and they created a deeper bond. What was referred to as a Rider Bond. Once that bond was made, the two were bonded for life.

Others still moved on, leaving their trainer to find their true bondmate.

As time went on, and the years passed, new dragons were born, and others made the choice to come to Earth. There were at least twenty-five on Earth now, the highest number yet. Because dragons age slowly, mating and the creation of eggs isn’t frequent. Even then, some were born on Earth, yet chose to move on, to go to other Realms to find their bondmate.

When SHIELD was formed, they didn’t hesitate to start recruiting dragons and their Riders, and they gathered all the knowledge they could find about dragons. They also kept a close watch when a new dragon was created. They’d watch and wait, hoping to send an agent of their own in to be a trainer. Or, if not, to get the new team on their side quickly. The more Pairs they could get on their payroll, the easier it would be to steer them all where they wanted.

Some of the greatest Pairs out there were part of SHIELD. Steve Rogers, who had been found just a few years ago, was paired with a gorgeous and dangerous dragon known as the Winter Soldier. The two had been separated back in the war, only to be reunited again once Steve had been defrosted from the ice. It’d taken him no time to use his bond to hunt down his dragon and set him free from where he’d been held. Once a Waverunner, the experiments and torture that James had undergone had changed him and his magic until he was a Glacialwing, something that the world hadn’t known was possible. SHIELD kept that quiet, though. No one needed to hear that part of their story. The duo were the darlings of the media in a lot of ways – a tragic story with a happy ending that the press just ate up.

SHIELD also employed another amazing Pair, one that people didn’t really know that much about. And the Pair liked to keep it that way. Clint Barton was the Rider of a Shadow Stalker dragon by the name of Natasha. They were a deadly combination, one that few witnessed working together, and fewer still knew the capabilities of.

There were other Pairs in their employ, dragons of varying types and strengths, but there was one dragon that SHIELD had kept a very, very close eye on. Or, rather, one _egg_.

Maria and Howard Stark had been two of the strongest dragons that SHIELD had ever categorized. It was through Howard that SHIELD had even begun to form. Their death had been a tragedy – almost as much as the tragedy of the egg they’d left behind. Without parents to care for it, there was no telling what would happen.

Obadiah Stane was given custody of the egg, per Howard’s wishes, and not even SHIELD was able to tell what he did with it. The only news they had of the egg was when, once a year, the bright red and gold egg would be brought out for people to come up and test themselves against. SHIELD was there each time in an attempt to keep the egg safe and to stop the idiots who wanted to steal it at a chance to try and either sell it or find a way to bind themselves to the great Stark fortune. They were also there to make sure their own agents had a chance to test themselves and see if they might be chosen.

The Stark egg was one of the single most coveted items on Midgard. Everyone wanted a chance at the only current egg on Earth.

None of them realized they’d never stood a chance.

Five years after the elder Starks passed away, their egg went missing.

* * *

Since the start of their alliance, very rarely had there been cause for any of the outside realms to make an appearance on Midgard – Earth. Dwarves never came to see them. They considered the humans too backward in their technology. It wasn’t common to see an Asgardian or an Elf, but it wasn’t unheard of, either. They were considered exotic and, by quite a few, dangerous.

The beings that Earth, and SHIELD, had the most knowledge about were the two Asgardian Princes. The older, Thor, had made quite a few trips to Earth. He’d even bonded to a beautiful dragon by the name of Jane. She was bright, fierce, and the two fell for one another on sight. They were the kind of bonding that was played out in romance novels. Two that bonded not just as a Riding Pair, but as mates as well.

However, whereas Thor was talked about with smiles and happy sighs, his younger brother Loki was often whispered about behind hands. The younger Prince had a reputation that was quite well known. He was dangerous, most said, and then in the same breath would add on “But there’s no one better to call if your dragon needs help.”

Though Loki had yet to find himself a dragon bond of his own, he’d helped quite a few. There were plenty who said that there were few out there who seemed to know dragons as well as he did. He’d assisted and taken care of more than most in the whole of the Nine Realms. He was smart, with a wealth of draconic knowledge and experience, but he was also fiercely protective of them.

That was half the reason that SHIELD took so long to call him in when the Stark egg went missing. Dragons were to be protected, but none more so than their young.

Every dragon in SHIELD was in an uproar at the loss of an egg. They were ready to tear the realm apart, and move on to others if need be, just to find it. Nick Fury was having a hard enough time keeping them under control. The last thing he wanted was a furious mage Prince coming in and making matters worse.

It wasn’t until they actually found the egg that Nick realized maybe he was in over his head.

* * *

The egg that would become known as Tony Stark was found in the desert in Afghanistan. He was found alone, just barely moving in the sand, and without a trainer in sight. Later, they’d find out that he’d been taken by a group known as the Ten Rings as a way to get back at the great Howard Stark, and to take out his line of succession now that the dragon himself was gone.

The closest Pair when Tony was found were Steve and Bucky. The two flew out there as quickly as they could, ready and willing to do anything to help the new hatchling. Even before the two got there, they heard the chatter, the words ‘forced hatching’ already making their way through the masses. The idea alone was terrifying enough, and it only spurred Bucky to fly faster. Forced hatchings were terrifying and traumatic for the egg, and only ever done in an emergency situation where the dragon inside might otherwise die. Even then, they were done in a controlled environment, with dragons all around to help ease the transition, and the hatchling was watched closely after that. To have it happen here, in a war zone…

When the Pair arrived on the scene, the sight that met them had Bucky letting out a pained cry that he kept low enough only Steve was able to hear him. Steve had his hands on Bucky’s neck, trying to soothe him, even if he felt kind of like crying himself.

The hatchling in the sand was on the small side. Barely larger than a housecat. It was a slender type, definitely not one of the bulkier ones. More thin, built for speed. The tiny little hatchling still managed to stand out in the sand despite its small size. It was red from snout to tail tip, darker on its body and lighter on its underbelly, with dark red horns that were just starting to poke out of its head. As the Pair got closer, Bucky’s eyes were able to pick up the gold he hadn’t noticed before. It showed in a hint of fur just starting under its jawline, in tiny bits at the base of its horns, and in perfect bands around each ankle. There were two golden bands on the tail, right before it split off into two at the end.

Then those eyes lifted and latched onto Bucky, and they were like liquid gold. They were also hot and full of fury.

“Back off!” the hatchling snarled at them. It was hissing openly at the SHIELD agents that had gotten close to it. When it lifted its wings in threat, or in a need to flee, the sight of them had both Bucky and Steve wanting to cry. “Just _back off_ , you assholes or I swear I’ll _set you on fire_!”

**_Oh, Stevie!_** Bucky’s mind-voice was full of the ache he felt.

Steve’s hand stroked gently over Bucky’s neck in an automatic soothing gesture. **_I know, Buck. I know_.** That was all he could spare to soothe his partner right now, though. They needed to get this little dragon out of here. Its wings were… they were a mess. The thin, tender membranes on the underside of his wings were bright gold, and they looked like they’d been torn in more than one place. It wasn’t easy to tell, but it also seemed like there were lines that looked like scars, suggesting these weren’t the first tears. The rest of the dragon didn’t look much better. Steve logged away every scar, every injury, and his heart throbbed, but he kept the pain of it from his voice when he called out “Peace, kiddo. We don’t mean you any harm.”

To his surprise, the hatchling’s wings stretched out into a form that was generally reserved for adults, one that gave a loud and clear _fuck you_. “Yeah, as if I haven’t heard that one before. If you think I’m dumb enough to fall for that one, you’re not as bright as you look. Not that that would take much, mind you. Do you always look this stupefied, or is it special just for me?”

The words were pure snark laced with a dose of heavy sarcasm. Any other situation and Bucky might’ve actually let out the laugh that was trying to vibrate up his chest. He could easily feel Steve’s stunned shock at being spoken to that way, and by a child no less, and it only increased Bucky’s mirth.

That is, right up until the moment that he heard something whistle through the air. All of Bucky’s mirth faded away, and his eyes went wide with horror when he realized what was going on. He let out a furious roar and leapt forward, only he wasn’t fast enough. He didn’t reach the hatchling before the tranq dart hit it right on its rear flank.

For one so tiny, it didn’t take long for the little dragon to slump down to the ground. It was already hitting even as Bucky landed overtop it. The older dragon took up a furious and protective stance and let out a roar that made it damn clear just how pissed off he was right then. On his back, Steve wasn’t doing much better. “What do you think you’re doing?” Steve snapped at the crowd. “We’d just arrived on scene! You didn’t even give us time to talk to him!”

It took a minute for someone to finally answer them. “Orders, sir,” one of the agents told him, voice reluctant. He clearly was smart enough to not want to take on these two right now. Lifting one hand, he tapped his earpiece. “Higher-ups didn’t want us wasting any more time and risk there being injuries we can’t see. The Director says you can take it up with him. We’re under orders to get the hatchling back to base ASAP for medical attention.”

As if they were going to let any of them near the hatchling! Bucky roared at the agent stupid enough to try and step towards them.

Without hesitation, the older dragon gathered up the younger one in his claws and then took off, launching himself up into the sky.

* * *

If they’d hoped for things to get better once they got to the SHIELD dragon center, they were quickly disabused of that notion. Almost every Pair there were furious at the treatment of the hatchling, protective of it, and more than ready to stop any SHIELD agent from getting close. Clint and Natasha, two of the most loyal to SHIELD, took to guarding the outside of the door that led to the hatchling’s enclosure. They made sure that no one got in except for Pairs. They wouldn’t even let any doctors in. After the monumental screw-up when they’d rescued the hatchling, not a single pair was willing to risk letting them around it again.

Bucky, who was the most protective of all of them so far, was the one to finally let someone in to take a look at the hatchling, just eight hours after they got it. Who he chose was a surprise.

He didn’t pick a civilian doctor, a dragon doctor specialist, or a SHIELD doctor. No, instead he chose Dr. Bruce Banner, who wasn’t even an actual medical doctor!

When they brought him into the base, Bruce tried to remind them all of that. “I’ve done some study on dragon physiology, and I’ve helped out here and there where I can, but I’m by no means a doctor, guys. Plus, ah, the Other Guy isn’t exactly the most soothing presence, you know?”

“The Hulk likes us,” Bucky told him, for what felt like the millionth time. “He’s got no problem with dragons. He likes us, an we like him.”

Bruce seemed to realize that arguing it was futile. So far, he was the only one they’d agreed to let around the hatchling, and it definitely needed to get some form of medical attention. He couldn’t in good conscience walk away without at least trying to give the hatchling a look over. Besides, if it did give in to the rage it no doubt felt – rightly so, in Bruce’s opinion – at least the Hulk had proven capable of standing up to dragons in the past. A hatchling wouldn’t do him any serious harm.

When Bruce made his way into the hatchling’s enclosure, he wasn’t surprised to see that it was awake. Nor was he surprised to see the suspicious eyes that tracked his every single movement. After years spent hiding, running all around the world, Bruce had been to some pretty dangerous places. He’d seen a lot of towns – countries – that were left devastated after war or disease. Bruce had helped where he could with medical skills that had been further learned along the way. In that time, he’d seen people who’d been hurt, who’d been damaged, who’d been broken down and terrified. It never got any easier.

This little hatchling was showing signs of being hurt, of being damaged and scared, but the fire in its eyes made it clear it wasn’t broken. Whatever the Ten Rings had wanted with it during the past three months, whatever they’d done to it or even however long it’d been out of its egg, they hadn’t managed to break it.

Dragon enclosures were broken up into types, each one made to suit a specific type of dragon. The one they’d stuck this hatchling in was made for a dragon they didn’t know the type of. They could make a guess, of course, based on coloring, but they wouldn’t know for sure yet.

This room was large, enough to fit a full grown dragon. It had space far off to the left where a raised platform had been tucked into the corner of the room, an option for a nest to be made. The ground was natural – dirt and grass – and there were trees as well. Through the reinforced glass above, the sun was free to come in. This enclosure was one of the nicest Bruce had seen. It was like they’d taken a section of earth and just built around it instead of tearing it down and making their own. Like they’d encapsulated a piece of nature. Right now, it was the best setting for the hatchling to be in. It had the comfort of nature, the option of multiple places for nesting, and plenty of trees to climb and rocks to lay on. There was even a man-made pool off to the right.

From where it sat, half-curled under and between a few rocks, the hatchling didn’t look like it cared at all about how impressive the enclosure was.

Bruce walked in slowly and carefully, making sure his hands were clear. The only thing he brought with him was a medical bag that was carried across his chest and on his hip.

“Hey there,” he said, once he was close enough to be heard. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

The hatchling snorted at him. “That’s what the last guys said, right before they shot me.”

It took everything Bruce had not to wince. “Yeah. That was a SHIELD agent who was pretty lucky that Bucky didn’t rip them apart.” At the slightly confused look he got, Bruce clarified, “The Pair you met – the dragon’s name is Bucky, and his Rider is Steve. Bucky’s the one that brought you here.”

“And where is _here_?”

Hadn’t anyone been in here to talk to the hatchling yet? Bruce squashed his annoyance with them; it’d do him no good now. He needed to keep himself and his scent calm for the little one in front of him. If Bruce freaked out, it was going to freak out, too. Taking a deep breath, Bruce closed the last bit of distance between them until they were a few feet apart, and he was standing beside a decent sized rock. He gestured to it with one hand. “Mind if I sit down?”

The hatchling snorted again, though it didn’t escape Bruce’s notice how it pushed itself further back into the hole in the rocks, sheltering itself more. “Whatever.”

That was as close to permission as Bruce was going to get. He pulled the bag off, set it on the ground, and then sat down. Once he was seated comfortably with his legs crossed underneath him, he rested his hands calmly in his lap. “You’re in a SHIELD base. I don’t know how much you learned while you were in your egg, or since you hatched, but SHIELD is…”

“Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division,” the hatchling supplied. “I felt you guys around sometimes when I was in my egg. I know that’s who came to get me. You don’t look like them, though.”

“I’m not. My name is Bruce Banner, and I’m here as a favor to Bucky. I’ve traveled a lot, and in that time I’ve learned a few things about being a doctor. He was hoping you might let me take a look at you and make sure that you’re healing okay.”

“A doctor?” The darkness of its hiding spot made it so that Bruce couldn’t see whatever expression was on its face or in its wings, but there was a bit of heartache in that question, more than what Bruce had expected to hear. Then, to his immense surprise, a small burst of amber flame burst out of the rocks. Not close enough to hit Bruce, but close enough to warn. “Get out! I don’t need you – I don’t need any of you!” There were pain and fury with every single word.

Bruce wasn’t an idiot. He knew when it was safe to push, and he recognized when someone was too close to the edge to handle any kind of push. It seemed he’d hit some sort of nerve mentioning being a doctor. How that could be a painful subject for the hatchling was something that Bruce really didn’t want to think about. Not unless he wanted to bring out the Hulk and scare the poor kid even more than he already was.

Just barely did Bruce have the control to make it out of the enclosure – not even bothering to say anything to the clearly distraught hatchling. He could feel his eyes already turning green, and the hint of it that was creeping along his skin. Bruce spoke to no one. He took off for the Hulk-room to let the Hulk work out his rage at seeing something so young already be so damaged.

* * *

Letting Bruce in hadn’t helped the way they’d wanted it to. No matter that the Pairs didn’t want to let anyone in, they knew that they had to. The hatching had been hurt, and it needed care. While they didn’t want to allow just any SHIELD agent in, they couldn’t exactly argue about allowing the Director to go in. Nick Fury walked into the enclosure with his usual no-nonsense, cocksure attitude.

He walked back out five minutes later with a bloody mark on his forehead and the bottom of his jacket still smoking.

It was at that point that they finally gave in to the inevitable and placed a call into Asgard for their help.

The young hatchling was injured, in need of help, and had refused all food so far. They couldn’t let it go on like this. They needed some kind of help, and they knew Asgard was going to be their best bet.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite what others might think, or what stories might be told, getting a royal summons from the Allfather was a rare thing. Only when it was important did he summon people before him. Otherwise, they were free to petition his time, or he might go to them himself to speak with them. King though he might be, it had never stopped him from walking the palace and talking to those there. It’d never stopped him from finding his sons to speak with them. For him to summon them meant something of import was happening.

So when Loki, Second Prince of Asgard, received the royal summons as he sat in his chambers eating a light lunch, he didn’t hesitate to stand and immediately begin to dress. Though things were tense in the house of Odin, that didn’t mean that Loki dared ignored a summons from the man who had once been called _Father_.

There was only one reason that Loki could think of that he would be summoned, and it had him hurrying all the faster. For Odin, he wouldn’t have rushed, but if it dealt with what Loki believed, he would not allow his anger at another to cause harm.

People parted easily as Loki hurried his way through the halls. Few wanted anything to do with their Second Prince. Especially once the truth of Loki’s heritage had been revealed to the whole of the Nine Realms.

Finding out who he truly was had changed everything. Not just for the people of Asgard, but for Loki. It had changed his life. Learning that he was adopted – that he’d been _stolen_ as a babe, and raised up to believe himself Æsir, to believe that the Jotnar were more than beasts – had almost destroyed him.

If it hadn’t been for the dragon Loki had been training at the time, a tiny little white just barely out of her shell, there was every likelihood that the things Loki might’ve done would’ve been enough to end his life here. She was the only reason that Loki hadn’t done anything he’d later regret. She came into her powers even more that afternoon out of pure necessity. When she sensed Loki rushing off to do something stupid, she was there to pin him down, using her magic in a shield stronger than Loki had expected her to be capable of doing, and she’d held him there until his rage had burned free.

Life in Asgard hadn’t gotten easier after that. Though his rage had burned away, the ice cold fury in his heart had stayed, frozen there. It was apt, he figured, considering the beat he’d just discovered himself to be.

Many a bridge had been broken that day. Despite the best efforts of his so-called family, few of those bridges had been mended. The closest so far was with Thor. He hadn’t known of Loki’s actual past, and as such, wasn’t held to the same standard as their parents were. But things changed between them, too. They were no longer brothers, not in Loki’s eyes, and Loki wasn’t willing to put up with all that he had tolerated before for the sake of _family_. Loki was finding his own feet, making his own person now, and it would take time for he and Thor to build something new. Something that would hopefully be stronger.

The bridge between father and son, however, was one that might never be rebuilt.

It showed in the coolness of Loki’s expression when he reached the Grand Hall. He kept his spine straight and his gaze cool as he walked down the length of the hall, stopping just in front of the steps to sink down to one knee. “Allfather.”

“Rise, my son.” Odin’s voice rang around the room, heavy with an emotion that Loki wouldn’t usually place there – fear. “We have little time for pleasantries.”

That did little to soothe Loki’s own fears. He rose to his feet, mouth open to speak, only for Odin to beat him to it.

“We’ve just received words from Midgard’s SHIELD group. They need our assistance. It seems that an egg was stolen.”

Loki’s eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline. “ _Stolen_?” Even as he said it, Loki’s brain was working quickly, trying to think. The last he knew there had been only one egg on Midgard. They hadn’t been blessed with new hatchlings since the previous batch almost a hundred years ago. But, that couldn’t be right. When Loki had last gone to Midgard, the egg had been one of the most protected treasures Midgard possessed. It was under the protection of its Sire’s company, which happened to be one of the strongest and most prominent ones out there. They had money and means to keep the egg safe, and Loki had observed one of the yearly ceremonies where the egg was brought forth. Every precaution was used. Even SHIELD was present!

“Loki,” There was a warning in Odin’s voice. A warning that what was to come wasn’t going to be pleasant. “The egg was taken three months ago. They recovered it yesterday, only to find that it had hatched. They believe it to be a forced hatching, for the young one is bonded to none, neither Trainer nor Rider.”

Everything in Loki froze. The only part of him that move was his eyes, lifting to take in Odin’s face, trying to read if he were serious. What he found there had Loki letting out a low, furious snarl. “ _Three months_? It has been gone for _three months,_ and they only think to notify us _now_?” While Loki’s fury was burning through him, there was another part that was aching, thinking of the rest of what his Father said. That this egg had been _forced_ to hatch. Just the thought was enough to make Loki sick.

 “They have not been able to do much for it. It won’t let them close to care for it or treat its injuries, and so they’ve requested our help.”  A rage similar to Loki’s was crackling through Odin’s one eye. “I trust you and Thor to make our rage well known at this fact.”

Oh, he could _definitely_ do that. By the time that Loki was done with them, SHIELD was going to be well aware of just how monumentally they’d screwed up, and what exactly would happen to them if a situation like this ever came up again.

Fury rose up in Loki and burned through him. He gave a bow to the Allfather before spinning on his heel to leave.

Odin didn’t try and temper his son’s anger, as he’d often attempted to do in the past. He didn’t give warnings about behaving, or how he should act while on Midgard, or any of those typical warnings. No, instead, he sat back in his throne and watched as his youngest son left the hall, moving with the kind of grace that marked him clearly as a predator. It was something that Loki once hadn’t bothered to show, though it had become more evident as of late. There was no doubt in Odin’s mind that SHIELD would come to greatly regret their recent mistakes.

A slow smile curved Odin’s lips. Perhaps he’d have to watch. It was likely going to prove to be quite the show.

* * *

Thor was already waiting for Loki when he arrived at the Bifrost. Neither one was willing to waste any time. Enough of that had been done already.

They arrived on Midgard with all the usual fanfare. SHIELD agents were already buzzing around here and there, hurrying to alert their superiors, trying to get everything in place. They’d clearly been watching the Bifrost site for them. Judging by the procession of people coming their way, they knew they’d screwed up and were attempting to placate them by pandering to the politics that were usually far more grudgingly given to the Princes.

Insolent mortals. Loki’s lip curled up into a sneer. “Do they think us so simple as to be mollified this way?”

“Find peace, brother,” Thor warned him carefully. “The hatchling is to be our concern right now. Once we are sure of its safety, you may vent your wrath upon these mortals.”

The fact that Thor was approving of Loki letting his ‘wrath’ loose on anyone at all was a surprising thing. But Loki wasn’t going to question it. Nor did he care all that much. The only thing that truly mattered was the hatchling. Anything else could wait.

Taking his fury, Loki forced it down. He let it harden him more until his expression was cold enough to make those coming towards him instinctively reach for their weapons. Loki ignored them all in a display of pure power. He had no worries about ants such as these. There was only one he needed to speak with, and it was the one who was going to catch his rage. With a calm coldness, Loki made straight for Director Nick Fury.

He didn’t give Nick a chance to play whatever political game he was going for here. Loki waited until they were close enough for human ears to hear and then the only question that mattered. “Where is it?” The words were layered in ice. They were firm and dangerous; full of a warning to anyone who dared think of getting in his way.

They must’ve really wanted his help. Nick didn’t even flinch at Loki’s sharp tone or try to keep them playing their stupid diplomatic games. He just gestured for them to follow and turned to march back towards the building. “This way.”

“What happened to it?” Loki asked as they walked.

“Three months ago, a group known as the Ten Rings took the egg. We never got any demands, never heard anything from them. They simply took the egg and disappeared. We only knew it was them because of the type of bomb they used to break up the convoy the egg was in. We’d been tracking the egg as best as we could, trying to look for signs of it, and using every pair we got.” They’d reached the building now, and Nick scanned them in, holding the door to let Loki inside before following in after him, leaving Thor to bring up the rear of their group. Nick kept talking as he led them down the halls. “This morning, we got a report of an explosion out in Afghanistan that screamed out a magical signature none of us recognized. My team got there only to find a hatchling in the sand, ready to try and take their heads off. Best as we can figure, it managed to make the explosions that alerted us, though we’re not quite sure how one so young managed it. It also looks like it… flew.”

That had Loki sucking in a sharp breath. He almost stumbled, somehow managing to catch him before he fell. “You’re sure?”

“Pretty sure. There were marks in the sand nearby to suggest where it landed.”

Loki picked up the pace and encouraged the Director to do the same. His visit just became all the more urgent.

Hatchlings didn’t learn to fly until they were almost a year old. Their wings needed time to grow, and their muscles needed to figure things out. Some dragons were better than others, who learned earlier, but the earliest that Loki knew of was six months. He’d never heard of a dragon flying before then. Yet… even if this one had been forced to hatch immediately after capture, that would make it only three months old. There was no way it should be flying yet. Not without risking serious damage.

It took far too long for them to reach the enclosure where the hatchling was being kept. There were two Pairs there guarding the door, and the look of them made it clear they weren’t happy with Loki’s presence. He didn’t blame them. This was their territory, and the hatchling they were clearly watching over was injured. They weren’t going to let just anyone in there.

Nick looked like he was more than ready to just walk right past them and head into the room. Loki knew better. If he wanted this to work, to be able to come back as needed and to do what was best for the hatchling, he knew he was going to have to have the Pairs at least tolerant of him.

One Pair was made up of an archer – he had his bow in hand and quiver on his back – and a Shadow Dragon beside him. Natasha, Loki knew, though he’d never met them. She was colored like the shadows, and just as slippery as they were. She had no horns or spikes, and her scales were so tight it made them look almost seamless. She lived up to her name of Shadow Stalker, easily able to slip through various shadows with a skill something of her size shouldn’t be able to do. She wasn’t as tall as most, not much bigger than a horse, though definitely _longer_. But she had beauty and grace that few things could achieve.

The other Pair were Steve and Bucky. Though Loki hadn’t personally met these two either, he’d heard plenty about them. Bucky, the dragon so damaged by his captivity his powers had literally frozen, making a Glacialwing out of a Waverunner, taken from his Rider and their bond masked so they both thought the other was dead. Their story was the stuff of legends. The super soldier serum, the loss of Bucky, Steve’s time on the ice. Even outside of Midgard, their story was one that was known.

Loki had respect for the strength of a Pair that could survive something like that.

He stopped himself a few feet in front of them. Then he opened his magic in a way he knew the dragons would recognize; it was a sign of greeting. Loki didn’t leave himself exposed with it, but he was far more open than he usually allowed himself to be. The mage left his magic open as he crossed one arm in front of him, one arm behind him, and bowed low. “Great Dragons, I am Loki Odinson, of Asgard, and I humbly beg leave to enter this nest.”

It was a bit rushed – not the lengthy speech that could sometimes happen with dragons – but it was the best Loki felt he could give at the moment. The need to get in to the hatchling was strong enough that Loki felt justified in rushing formalities somewhat.

Natasha lowered her head a little to bring it closer to Loki, and her eyes glittered with open threat. “Would it actually matter if we said no?”

There were layers to that question. She was asking more than just if he’d listen to her. She wanted to know just how important this was to him, and who he was going to answer to.

Loki tilted his chin upwards and straightened his spine into his most regal stance. Power flooded through him until he knew it was crackling in his eyes and in the very air around him. The temperature of the room grew tangibly lower. “Not in the least.”

“We could stop you,” she said. Beside her, her Rider was already notching an arrow, his gaze steady on Loki. At the same time, Bucky and Steve prepared as well, their stances making it clear they were ready to fight.

They were testing him. Testing his resolve, his willingness to help, and his freedom. They wanted to know who he was acting for – himself, or for SHIELD.

That was an easy answer. Loki didn’t do this for SHIELD, or for Asgard, or for anyone. He did it for himself, and for the hatchling in need of him.

“You may try,” Loki told her calmly, letting the frost layer over his words the same as it was creeping up the walls and across the floor. “But do not make the mistake of thinking of me as easy prey, Natasha of the Romanov clan. I am Loki Skywalker, the Lie-smith, Second Prince of Asgard, and rightful heir to the throne of Jotunheim. I am a Master Mage, a child of the cosmos. I have seen the madness of the Void between Realms, and walked away from the other side.”

The frost around them grew stronger as the chill deepened. The breath of everyone became visible. As it did, Loki’s skin began to change, the blue seeping through and chasing away the pale white of his Æsir form. Loki only stood taller, his arms at his sides and his gaze firm with pride.

“I have walked the halls of Hel and come out unscathed. I have braved the dens and nests of dragons older and stronger than you or your pathetic little realm. Do not think for one moment that I fear you, little shadow, or that I will hesitate to make my way through you should you choose to stand between me and my goal.”

Loki stood before them fully as a Frost Giant, something he had not done in front of his brother since they’d found out the truth. He hadn’t told Thor about the small trips he’d made to Jotunheim, under disguise, to try and learn about his heritage. No one there knew who he was, and he hadn’t dared let anyone else know he was going, but he’d needed to see. He’d needed to understand.

That practice and knowledge allowed Loki to embrace that part of himself now. He felt a twinge at letting others see him like this – at allowing SHIELD see him like this – and yet he would do so much more if it meant getting to the injured hatchling on the other side of that door. They would not push him around. He was going to make damn sure they all knew that.

The way that Natasha sat back a little told Loki that his gambit had worked. She was looking at him with something akin to respect in her eyes. Beside her,

A look between her and Bucky was all that was needed to make their decision. The two stepped aside, leaving a path right to the door, and Loki drew his own magic back in. The ice stopped forming, though what he’d already created stayed where it was. He left it deliberately there as a message. As he drew in his power, his skin made the shift, moving from blue back to his Æsir skin. It was almost gone by the time he reached the door.

He was stopped by a wing stretching into his path. Loki paused, turning eyes there were still a blood red over to the dragon the wing belonged to.

Bucky met his eyes without hesitation. “Hurt him, an I’ll show you everything HYDRA taught me while they had me.” The threat was delivered in a calm, cold tone.

Loki nodded.

And with that, the wing withdrew, and he was finally free to step inside. Finally free to go and see the young hatchling. With one final breath, Loki stepped inside.

* * *

What he found wasn’t what he’d expected. The area was actually a somewhat decent space for a dragon. Of course, the air was artificial, and the sunlight didn’t carry the same warmth after being filtered through so much glass, but at least there were trees and some form of nature in here. He’d come across dragons in worse. Still, it wasn’t what it should be. A hatchling this young should be with family. Either the one that sired it or the one that took it in.

Instead, this hatchling was alone, injured, and likely terrified. Angry, as well, if the stories of the others were to be believed.

Loki kept his senses on alert as he carefully made his way inside. He didn’t go seek the hatchling out. This wasn’t his territory, and he wasn’t stupid enough to intrude on it. All he did was walk a few feet in until he was in an open space, and then he stopped. There, he let his eyes run around him. “Hello,” he called out to the room. “My name is Loki Odinson, and I seek to speak to the dragon of the room.”

It was the barest of formalities. Normally there would be more – titles for both of them, and for their space, and it would’ve been done before he even dared to enter another’s territory – but this hatchling was young and hadn’t been raised with others. He’d instinctively know some, but he wouldn’t know all of it.

There was no answer. That wasn’t surprising, really.

Loki could sense the dragon not far away from him. His words had been heard, he knew. They were just being ignored. Or, considered. Again, that was fine. Loki had expected it. He’d come in here knowing that this wasn’t going to be a fast fix. Not after what this little one had been through. It wasn’t going to want to come to him easily. Why would it? This was likely the closest it’d felt to safe in quite a while. Who would want to give that up?

When the first half hour passed, Loki spoke again, repeating his same words. “I am Loki Odinson, and I seek to speak to the dragon of the room.”

He did it again at the hour mark. And again at two.

Three.

The hatchling came closer, yet said nothing.

Five.

Loki had to admire the tenacity of this young one. He felt it nearby. It was listening to him, watching him, the entire time. Yet it held out for far longer than Loki had expected.

It was when they reached the six-hour mark that things finally changed.

The presence of the hatchling came closer. Up high, Loki noted. The slight hitch in breathing told him that it wasn’t an easy feat. _Injured_ , his brain supplied. Nick had told him the very same outside, yet Loki knew some dragons could heal quickly. This one either couldn’t, or something was impeding it. Lack of nourishment, maybe.

Leaves rustled, a deliberate sound this time, one meant to draw his attention. Even as Loki turned his head, a low voice spoke up in the trees to his right. “Do you really plan on standing here all day long?”

“If that is what it takes,” Loki answered simply. He clasped his hands behind his back and turned himself so that he could face the tree the dragon was in. It stayed hidden; just a glimpse of gold shone through. Spine straight, Loki focused on that area. “I am Loki…”

“Odinson, yeah, I got that,” the dragon snarked back. Oh, good, it had humor. Loki always enjoyed the ones who had humor. “You’re not like everyone else that’s come in here.”

Loki curled his upper lip in a moue of distaste. “Absolutely not.”

That seemed to be the right answer. The dragon made a rasping sound that could’ve been a smothered laugh. “Definitely not like the rest of them. I’m guessing you’re not an actual SHIELD agent either. So far they don’t seem to employ anyone with that much intelligence. Well, aside from Dr. Banner. I kind of liked him.”

 _This one is sharp – quick. Intelligent already_. More information to add to what he’d already gathered. Loki stored it away while allowing himself a small smile at the dragon’s words. “No, I am not SHIELD. I am the Second Prince of Asgard, and the closest they have to an expert on dragons. When they could not help you, they called me.”

Despite what everyone said about how tricky dragons were, or how they could twist your words and their own, blunt honesty was always the best way to go. It left little wiggle room.

He felt it as the hatchling’s seidr sharpened. It was less friendly now, and far more dangerous. “Dragon expert, huh?” it asked him, low and deadly. “What, they think you’re gonna come in here and _tame_ me? That you’ll be my Trainer, or, better yet, my _Rider_?” The last word was asked with a snarl. Loki hadn’t heard such anger towards even the idea of a Rider before. The closest he’d come was the rage of those who had lost their Riders – those that didn’t die with them, that was. Often, they followed soon after.

What on earth had these humans done to make a dragon so fearful of the bond they all craved?

“I come for no one’s agenda but my own.” In contrast to the hatchling’s anger, Loki made his voice steady and sure. “I’ve assisted many dragons throughout my lifetime. I’ve rescued them from many types of situations, healed them, and helped them become free. I am not here to chain you, great dragon. I am here to make sure that no one else dares try.”

There was just enough seidr backing those words that Loki knew they took on the edge of a vow – something even a dragon this young would be able to sense.

The room fell silent as the echo of Loki’s words slowly faded around them.

The mage stood tall and proud and waited. He knew his words would have an effect. Even so, he was still surprised when there was another rustle, and then the soft sound of wings just seconds before a gorgeous red dragon came dropping down from one branch to the next, settling itself directly into the light. Loki’s eyes went wide as he took in the look of it, matching it up with the feel of the dragon’s seidr that was now much more open in the air. It – _he_ , Loki could feel – lifted his head so that gold eyes met green, and Loki met the stare of the first Creation dragon to have been born in untold millennia.

“Anthony,” the dragon said. “My name is Anthony. But you can call me Tony.”


	3. Chapter 3

A _Creation_ dragon! Loki sat on the ground of this dragon’s temporary territory, the bag Loki had brought now set between them for Tony to inspect, and he stared at the small hatchling in front of him. He couldn’t believe that a Creation dragon had been born! Not only born, but forced into hatching, and then held hostage for months by a group of mortals who had no doubt done unspeakable things to him. The state of his body and wings was a clear testament to that.

Tony pushed his snout into the bag and sniffed, only to abruptly draw back and sneeze. A hint of fire curled out of his nose. A nose that he then wrinkled as he looked back up at Loki. “Your bag doesn’t smell like you. It smells like…” Tony paused, and Loki could see his frustration, see as he tried to pair up something he knew with a word he didn’t quite have yet. It was a painful process to watch. Tony finally growled, and his tail swished hard behind him. “The electricity from the sky.”

 _Ah._ “Lightning. Yes, that would be my brother. Though grown, he has yet to move beyond the childish belief that anything which I own is also his as well.”

“Hmm.” Tony tilted his head and gave a much more cautious sniff. “I’m not sure I like it. Your scent is more awesome. It makes my nose hurt less.”

The casual bluntness was a trait of dragons, more common when they were young, and Loki had learned to adapt to it a long time ago. It wasn’t that they were blunt, per se, but that they didn’t consider certain things essential or different the way that a human or even an Æsir might. To Tony, and to any other dragon, talking about someone’s scent was the same as talking about their hair, or their existence in general. Smell was just as much a part of someone as anything else, to them.

What Loki paid attention to was what he considered the more important part of that statement. “Your nose hurts?”

Tony shrugged one wing negligently as he went back to poking at Loki’s bag, this time with one clawed foot. “This whole place smells weird. The air is fake, and it’s got something in it. It smells better under the rocks, but it’s seeped into the trees, too.”

 _Something in it._ The air had _something in it_. Loki didn’t doubt Tony’s assessment. No, what he felt was a cold rage that slowly chilled his veins. They had dared put something in the artificial air in here? Oh, the list of transgressions SHIELD was building up was growing longer and longer. Loki was going to enjoy making them _pay_.

For the moment, he tamped down on that rage and focused on what he could do. “If this place is not suitable for you, perhaps you would allow me to find you somewhere else to stay. Somewhere more natural, with real air.”

Suspicion immediately entered Tony’s golden eyes. His head snapped up, and he narrowed his gaze on Loki. “Yeah, right. Sure. I just have to wear your special collar or something like that, right? Wouldn’t want me running away.”

“No collar,” Loki promised him. Not that a collar would hold one such as this. Loki might be able to stop him, to briefly contain him, but he doubted how well he’d stand up to a dragon such as this.

Tony’s lip curled up in a sneer that showed off very sharp teeth. “Aren’t you afraid I’m gonna run?”

“And where would you go?”

“Somewhere not here sounds pretty good right now,” Tony shot back.

Loki dipped his head down in silent agreement. He let his eyes run over Tony’s wings – his damaged, no-doubt painful wings – and he grimaced. “I doubt you will be flying far, my sweet. If indeed you can leave the ground at all.”

That only served to put Tony’s back up. He straightened up, all his focus on Loki now, and there was pride clear in his gaze. “I’m determined.”

“I would imagine you are.” If he wasn’t, he never would’ve made it this far. He never would’ve broken free of those that held him. “However, perhaps you might permit me to assist in this, at least. I assure you, whatever accommodations I procure will be much better than this.”

“Yeah, and surrounded by SHIELD guards, or more people with your magic voodoo. Thanks but no thanks, Frosty. I’ll make my own way out of this pit.”

The distrust radiating off of every inch of Tony was heartbreaking. While some hatchlings came out suspicious, or angry, it was a part of their nature and easy to deal with. They also still held some form of innocence. This little hatchling was different. He may have come out innocent, but that innocence had been burned away, ripped from him before he’d even had a chance. And that – that was far more of a tragedy than any of these foolish mortals could begin to understand.

At that moment Loki felt the kind of rage that he hadn’t felt since learning his true heritage.

His seidr began to build up in him, pushing out into the very air around him, and Loki watched as Toni became much more serious. The dragon was watching him cautiously, clearly knowing that something was going to happen and not quite sure what it was. But instead of whatever attack it was he expected, Loki simply leaned forward. “I vow to you now, Tony of the Stark clan, I will do everything within my power to make sure you will not remain a prisoner of SHIELD. You _will_ be free.”

That kind of vow – with seidr to back it – was one that couldn’t be denied. Tony Stark stared at Loki for a long moment in open surprise and disbelief. Then, it was a glorious sight to see. The distrust began to fade away from the hatchling. Little by little it drained away until Loki was finally able to get a glimpse of the small, slightly scared creature he truly was. “Really?”

There was enough cautious hope in that single word to make Loki’s heart clench. “On my life, my sweet.”

In the next instant, there was a red blur just seconds before the small dragon impacted with Loki’s chest. The mage didn’t hesitate to curl his arms around his bundle. He was finally free to give in to his own instincts and draw the hatchling in close against him. Tony pressed his body against Loki’s chest and shoved his head up, letting his snout push down towards Loki’s armpit. Towards a place where he might smell more like himself.

“You are safe now, Tony,” Loki murmured to him. He curved one arm under Tony and let his other hand press against the deceptively soft scales on his neck. “I will keep you safe.”

The touch of magic – ancient magic – reached into Loki, brushing hesitantly against his seidr in the kind of contact that Loki had felt many times, and had only accepted rarely. Tony was reaching to him with the intent to bond. Not as Rider, he was far too young for that. But as Trainer. Loki felt the touch, and he immediately pushed his own seidr back in silent answer.

The two magics twisted together. Loki felt it as the bond snapped into place. He felt the presence of Tony in his mind; the faint sense of his feelings, his well-being. That was all a Trainer bond allowed. The rest came with a deeper bond – a Rider bond.

With this bond, Loki was able to feel just how much pain Tony was actually in. How much he’d been hiding. Loki had known he was hurt, he just hadn’t realized how much.

Loki pushed up to his feet with ease. He kept Tony cradled to him as he did. “Come, sweet one. Let us leave here and find you proper medical attention.”

“They won’t like it,” Tony mumbled.

Snorting, Loki rolled his eyes. He pulled at the edge of his jacket and brought it over, doing up the two special buttons he kept on it – buttons that allowed the jacket to sag enough to make a small pouch. It was in there that he slipped Tony, holding him close to Loki’s chest and heart while freeing up his hands. Something told him he was going to need them. “They will quickly find I care little for what they like.”

With Tony cradled comfortably against him, his damaged wings carefully left free, Loki drew himself up tall and turned to face the door.

Let the others try and stop him. Nothing and no one was going to prevent him from taking care of this tiny dragon. Tony was his to care for now. They’d learn soon enough, Loki was fierce in protecting what belonged to him.

SHIELD didn’t stand a chance.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately guys, to those of you that read my other stuff. It's summer hours, which mean like 9 hour days, so I mostly write on weekends which isn't much. Sorry!


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